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PABIRDS for Tuesday, October 19, 2004
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Subject: Re: [PABIRDS] Ring-necked Pheasant
From: Bill Etter <better(AT)NETCARRIER.COM>
Date: 19 Oct 2004 3:26am
Hi Bill,
My guess is that the bird in question can probably hear and see just fine. It
was most likely rendered "senseless" due to the fact that it was raised on a
farm and only recently dumped out of a crate somewhere near the area where you
found it playing in traffic. Is there a gameland nearby? Fall pheasants are
generally a bit dopey to say the least. You probably could have tackled it,
hand fed it, stuffed it down yr shirt, and taken it home if you'd tried real
hard...
When pheasant hunters ask me if i've seen any birds, i like to say that i just
kicked one (fed one, pet one, sat on one, poked one in the
eye...whatever...)...right down the trail...you missed it, sorry! It's a lie of
course, cuz i have absolutely no interest in kicking or sitting on idiot
farm-raised birds, or any other bird for that matter (except cowbirds maybe),
but you see my point. I'm sure they're challenging quarry somewhere, but not
here in Bucks Co.
So: MY question is, Does the Game Commission release female pheasants? And if
so, in what ratio to males? I've seen a ton o' male Ring-necks, including a few
road-kills, here since 08 October (presumed release date), but no females.
Haven't seen (m)any females at all over the past two or three seasons, actually.
Maybe it's just me. Used to see hens more often i think...and i mean presumed
released females, not wild...think late 90's, early 00's. Do hunters have any
interest in hens? I sure wouldn't if i were a hunter, but just wondering?! Is
the PA release program geared at all toward re-populating the species in PA, or
simply for the benefit of hunters? Any opinions? Answers are probably readily
available out there on the net, possibly buried in the PGC website but i wasn't
able to dig em up just now...
See ya!
Bill Etter
Lake Nockamixon
Bucks County
>>Apologies for the delayed posting. Yesterday @ 2 PM while traveling north on
Rts. 72 & 443 between Swatara Gap & Goldmine Rd. I spotted a male pheasant
walking along the east berm. As the couple cars ahead went past the bird it
continued to come closer to the traffic. As I passed it on a curve, I continued
to watch the bird in my side-view mirror; it nearly walked between two moving
vehicles before rising up & flying across to the other side of the highway. I'm
happy to say it escaped all harm, but it was a close call. My question to the
list serve is "don't these birds possess good hearing?" It had to hear the car
engines & tires @ such a close distance. Also, are these birds farsighted?
Maybe it was just an individual with poor sensory awareness.
Bill Kimmich
Camp Hill, PA
Fairview Twp.
York CO.
[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: [PABIRDS] Stone Harbor point program Nov. 7 by Wyncote
Audubon
From: CWHenceIII(AT)AOL.COM
Date: 19 Oct 2004 8:15am
Wyncote Audubon will be presenting noted wildlife photographer Kevin Karlson
at their annual dinner on Sunday Nov. 7th at the Ft. Washington Holiday Inn.
The Program is entitled "A Season at the Point: Stone Harbor That Is! A
Photographic Review of a Magical Year, 2003" (see description below). Price of
dinner entrees range from $25 to $35. Deadline for registration is November
1st.
If you would like more information on this event contact Cliff Hence directly
at cwhenceiii(AT)aol.com.
November 7 - banquet - Kevin Karlson: A Season at the Point: Stone Harbor
That Is! A Photographic Review of a Magical Year, 2003
Stone Harbor NJ is becoming widely known as a superb birding spot, located
just 10 miles north of Cape May Point. While local birders have enjoyed Stone
Harbor for many years, recent geographic changes have resulted in a major
seabird breeding colony, with thousands of Black Skimmers, Common and Least
Terns
and small numbers of Gull-billed Terns. Besides these nesting birds, thousands
of migrant shorebirds, gulls, terns, seabirds and raptors use this unique
ocean/back bay habitat at different times of the year. Year 2003 was a magical
year, with numerous rare bird occurrences accompanying the impressive array of
annual residents and visitors. This show condenses hundreds of hours of
enjoyable
moments spent in 2003 at one of my favorite birding locations, Stone Harbor
Point, just miles from my home.
Kevin T. Karlson has been a wildlife photographer for 24 years and active as
a birder for 26 years. He has traveled from the wilds of the Alaskan Arctic to
the rainforests of Central and South America to photograph birds. As a noted
wildlife photographer in North America, his work is widely published in
numerous birding magazines and journals, as well as books, field guides,
calendars
and CD-ROM’s.
Kevin is currently on the advisory board of Wild Bird Magazine as well as a
staff contributor of the column Birder’s ID. He recently signed a contract
with
Houghton Mifflin Publishers to produce a book called The Shorebird Guide with
co-authors Richard Crossley and Michael O’Brien. This comprehensive field
guide, due to be released in 2005, will contain nearly 700 photos and will
outline a simpler method of bird identification for beginners and experts
alike.
Currently a resident of Cape May County, NJ, Kevin is a 12-year member of the
NJ Bird Records Committee and is active in the Cape May birding community. He
is the founder and president of Jaeger Tours, Inc., a small birding tour
company (www.jaegertours.net) with an emphasis on the enjoyment of a total
birding/nature experience.
[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: Re: [PABIRDS] Ring-necked Pheasant
From: Scott Weidensaul <sweidnsl(AT)INFIONLINE.NET>
Date: 19 Oct 2004 10:31am
I agree with Bill Etter that Bill Kimmich's pheasant was
undoubtedly a stocked bird, because a wild ringneck is anything but
"dopey:"...'tis the season for clueless fowl, though the PGC is not
the only source, or even the biggest. A lot of hunting clubs,
shooting preserves and private landowners buy and stock pheasants,
and there was a special youth-only pheasant hunt in much of the state
starting the day after Bill saw the bird.
To answer Bill E.'s question, the PGC has cut back on stocking over
the past 20 years, and now views it much the way the Fish and Boat
Commission approaches trout stocking in many waterways -- strictly a
put-and-take proposition. They do stock some females, since the game
farms raise both (and in the more northerly or mountainous areas,
hens are legal game -- generally speaking, the areas with little or
no natural reproduction).
The stocking is not geared toward repopulating the state, simply
because that won't work; the agricultural and development landscape
has changed radically in the past several decades, and we are
unlikely to ever again see robust wild pheasant populations. No
habitat, no birds. Stocking is thus strictly a recreation-based
activity.
Hope this helps,
Scott Weidensaul
Schuylkill Co.
>Hi Bill,
>
>My guess is that the bird in question can probably hear and see just
>fine. It was most likely rendered "senseless" due to the fact that
>it was raised on a farm and only recently dumped out of a crate
>somewhere near the area where you found it playing in traffic. Is
>there a gameland nearby? Fall pheasants are generally a bit dopey
>to say the least. You probably could have tackled it, hand fed it,
>stuffed it down yr shirt, and taken it home if you'd tried real
>hard...
>
>When pheasant hunters ask me if i've seen any birds, i like to say
>that i just kicked one (fed one, pet one, sat on one, poked one in
>the eye...whatever...)...right down the trail...you missed it,
>sorry! It's a lie of course, cuz i have absolutely no interest in
>kicking or sitting on idiot farm-raised birds, or any other bird for
>that matter (except cowbirds maybe), but you see my point. I'm sure
>they're challenging quarry somewhere, but not here in Bucks Co.
>
>So: MY question is, Does the Game Commission release female
>pheasants? And if so, in what ratio to males? I've seen a ton o'
>male Ring-necks, including a few road-kills, here since 08 October
>(presumed release date), but no females. Haven't seen (m)any
>females at all over the past two or three seasons, actually. Maybe
>it's just me. Used to see hens more often i think...and i mean
>presumed released females, not wild...think late 90's, early 00's.
>Do hunters have any interest in hens? I sure wouldn't if i were a
>hunter, but just wondering?! Is the PA release program geared at
>all toward re-populating the species in PA, or simply for the
>benefit of hunters? Any opinions? Answers are probably readily
>available out there on the net, possibly buried in the PGC website
>but i wasn't able to dig em up just now...
>
>See ya!
>
>Bill Etter
>Lake Nockamixon
>Bucks County
>
>>>Apologies for the delayed posting. Yesterday @ 2 PM while traveling north on
>Rts. 72 & 443 between Swatara Gap & Goldmine Rd. I spotted a male pheasant
>walking along the east berm. As the couple cars ahead went past the bird it
>continued to come closer to the traffic. As I passed it on a curve,
>I continued
>to watch the bird in my side-view mirror; it nearly walked between two moving
>vehicles before rising up & flying across to the other side of the
>highway. I'm
>happy to say it escaped all harm, but it was a close call. My question to the
>list serve is "don't these birds possess good hearing?" It had to hear the car
>engines & tires @ such a close distance. Also, are these birds farsighted?
>Maybe it was just an individual with poor sensory awareness.
>
>Bill Kimmich
>Camp Hill, PA
>Fairview Twp.
>York CO.
[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: [PABIRDS] 10-17-04 Birding at the TAS Observation Blind at
The Muck, Tioga, Co. PA
From: Jeff Holbrook <mycteria(AT)STNY.RR.COM>
Date: 19 Oct 2004 11:13am
Hello PA Birders,
I made a trip to the brand new Tiadaghton Audubon Society/PA
Game Commission blind off of North Dresser Rd at The Muck, just north of
Wellsboro, PA. I only made it there late in the afternoon but below is
the list of birds I observed from 15:30 - 17:30. The list is not too
long, likely due to the rapidly changing weather, wind and rain. I was
glad I was in the blind! Birds are listed below in order of
identification.
SPECIES:
Swamp Sparrow, 5
Red-winged Blackbird, 450
Canada Goose, 10
American Goldfinch, 2
American Crow, 5
Song Sparrow, 1
Belted Kingfisher, 2
Turkey Vulture, 2
Red-tailed Hawk, 4
American Robin, 12
Greater Yellowlegs, 1
Blue Jay, 3
Tree Swallow, 2
European Starling, 1
If you are in the area, check out the new blind, a great effort
was made by folks from the Tiadaghton Audubon Society and the PA Game
Commision to make this blind a reality. Thanks to all the folks who
worked so hard to "Git 'er Done!" I was not one of those people
Regards,
Jeff Holbrook
RC - 36
[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: [PABIRDS] Blue Marsh, Berks County
From: Joan Silagy <bnjsil(AT)TALON.NET>
Date: 19 Oct 2004 3:33pm
Around noon today, I took a walk around the Sensory Trail, located in the
Day Use Area of Blue Marsh. As soon as I entered the trail I heard all the
birds creating a big ruckus. I knew a predator had to be nearby and I
wrongly assumed, cat. Since Sidney was with me, I knew if it were a cat or
fox, he'd move it out of there. Even as I approached the area, the birds
continued to fuss, and fuss and fuss. Robins, Titmice, Chickadees,
Nuthatches, Carolina Wren and Goldfinch continued their tirade. They were
dive bombing low into the thicket and even my pishing did not deter them,
and in fact, brought in more birds to scold. Since there was no way I could
see into the depth of that thicket, all I can assume is that it was a low
perching Saw-whet Owl, or perhaps a Screech Owl but since Saw-whet's like
to perch low I am assuming, right or wrong, that's probably what it was.
Birds seen were:
Robins by the hundreds
Ruby-crowned Kinglets
Golden-crowned Kinglets
Yellow-rumped Warblers
Carolina Wrens
Chickadee species
Tufted Titmice
House Finch
American Gold Finch
Northern Flicker
Downy Woodpecker
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
Red-tailed Hawk
Ring-billed Gulls
Belted Kingfisher
Spotted Sandpiper
Great Blue Herons
White-crowned Sparrows
White-throated Sparrows
Song Sparrows
Chipping Sparrows
Eastern Towhee
Eastern Bluebirds
Canada Geese
Joan Silagy and Sidney
Leesport, PA
[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: [PABIRDS] Clinton Co. shorebirds 10/19
From: Wayne Laubscher <wlaubsch(AT)CUB.KCNET.ORG>
Date: 19 Oct 2004 4:18pm
The latest (surprise...) rainy weather brought a significant fallout of
Dunlin in the area. Dave Rockey reported at midday today of a large
flock of Dunlin and 5 Great Egrets at a flooded field along the River/
Island Route east of Lock Haven. I later found there the Great Egrets,
~ 400 Dunlin, and 8 Greater Yellowlegs. Also a couple of Killdeer. At
South Avis in the cornfield puddle were another 15 Dunlins. Jeff
Schaffer reported that this morning a flock of 75 Double-crested
Cormorants were on the Susquehanna River at Boom Island at Lock Haven.
Wayne Laubscher
Lock Haven
wlaubsch(AT)cub.kcnet.org
"Owl be back"
[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: [PABIRDS] Christian Spring Rd., Northampton Co. - 10/19
From: Billy Weber <canberra_sky(AT)MAC.COM>
Date: 19 Oct 2004 5:34pm
Shorebird numbers and variety are down.
Dunlin (at least 7)
Greater Yellowlegs (1)
Lesser Yellowlegs (1)
Least Sandpiper (several)
Killdeer
Ring-necked Duck (1)
Green-winged Teal
Mallard
Canada Goose
American Pipit (perhaps a half dozen)
Billy Weber
Walnutport, PA
[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: [PABIRDS] Bird seed sales at Agway
From: Lisa Danko <lsdanko(AT)HOTMAIL.COM>
Date: 19 Oct 2004 6:39pm
Hi Folks, Agway is having their truckload bird seed sales, you might want
to stop by one if near you. Black oil is 8.49/20pounds, classic blend is
19.99/20pounds and premium is 14.99/50 pounds, plus much more. Order by oct
31st.
Lisa
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Express yourself instantly with MSN Messenger! Download today - it's FREE!
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[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: [PABIRDS] Ruddy Duck-Beaver Co.
From: mark vass <mvas1(AT)ACCESS995.COM>
Date: 19 Oct 2004 8:42pm
I stopped after work and did a quick check of these locations
It was foggy and I had reduced visibility
Independence Marsh
2 Pied-billed Grebe
2 Wood Duck
2 Belted Kingfisher
1 Great Blue Heron
Ambridge Reservoir
1 Ruddy Duck(drake,first for the fall in the county)
Wood Ducks
1 Belted Kingfisher
1 Great Blue Heron
Raccoon Lake
1 Green-winged Teal
1 Belted Kingfisher
Mark Vass
Ambridge,Pa.
[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: [PABIRDS] HSR: Rose Tree Park (19 Oct 2004) 0 Raptors
From: reports(AT)HAWKCOUNT.ORG
Date: 19 Oct 2004 9:02pm
Rose Tree Park Hawkwatch, Media, PA
Pennsylvania, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Oct 19, 2004
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Turkey Vulture 0 78 87
Black Vulture 0 4 14
Osprey 0 31 184
Northern Harrier 0 10 37
Mississippi Kite 0 0 0
Bald Eagle 0 24 81
Sharp-shinned Hawk 0 386 950
Cooper's Hawk 0 69 166
Northern Goshawk 0 2 2
Red-shouldered Hawk 0 16 19
Broad-winged Hawk 0 35 3101
Swainson's Hawk 0 0 0
Red-tailed Hawk 0 47 69
Rough-legged Hawk 0 0 0
Golden Eagle 0 0 0
American Kestrel 0 53 169
Merlin 0 2 25
Peregrine Falcon 0 2 8
Unknown 0 15 40
Total: 0 774 4952
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Observation start time: 08:00:00
Observation end time: 11:30:00
Total observation time: 3.5 hours
Official Counter: Charlie Haag
Observers:
Weather:
Drizzle and Rain, winds ENE-NE at 10-13 MPH. Temperature 53F.
Observations:
No birds flying today
Predictions:
Cloudy with a 30 percent chance of rain. Highs in the mid 50s. Northeast
winds 15 to 20 mph.
========================================================================
Report submitted by Janet Crawford (janet.l.c(AT)att.net)
Rose Tree Park Hawkwatch, Media, PA information may be found at:
www.jl-studio.com/RTP_HW
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